Spellings - ay

The educational material provided outlines a series of engaging activities designed to teach children the use of the 'ay' sound in spelling. The lesson begins with visual aids displayed on a whiteboard, where children are encouraged to discuss images and sound out words that contain the 'ay' sound, such as 'play', 'ray', and 'tray'. The lesson plan is structured to help children recognise that the 'ay' sound typically appears at the end of words or syllables. Teachers are provided with guidance on how to sound out words with the 'ay' sound, prompting children to blend and vocalise each word, reinforcing their phonetic understanding.

As the lesson progresses, children are introduced to activities that help them further assimilate the 'ay' sound. They are encouraged to add sound buttons (dots for single sounds and dashes for combined sounds) to words, an exercise that can be completed using whiteboards or printable worksheets. Children then engage in a word-making activity, using a selection of letters to create as many 'ay' words as possible within a given time. The lesson also includes labelling exercises, word searches, and dictation activities where children fill in missing words with the correct 'ay' sound. To consolidate learning, there are spelling checks, games like 'Build a Spelling Caterpillar', and various challenge cards designed to test understanding and recall of the 'ay' sound in a fun and interactive way.